Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households

This study explores the difficulties which arise in complex stepfamilies, where both partners have children from previous marriages. Problems of family integration which create discord among family members include boundary ambiguity, contact consistency and role confusion. Boundary ambiguity refers...

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Main Author: Mirshak, Aida
Format: Others
Published: 1993
Online Access:http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/2637/1/MM84626.pdf
Mirshak, Aida <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/Mirshak=3AAida=3A=3A.html> (1993) Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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spelling ndltd-LACETR-oai-collectionscanada.gc.ca-QMG.26372013-10-22T03:42:39Z Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households Mirshak, Aida This study explores the difficulties which arise in complex stepfamilies, where both partners have children from previous marriages. Problems of family integration which create discord among family members include boundary ambiguity, contact consistency and role confusion. Boundary ambiguity refers to the uncertainty surrounding family membership which develops because of the extended network of family members acquired in the previous marriage(s) and the present one. Contact consistency relates to the consistency/inconsistency of patterns of contact between stepfamily members and the non-residential children or stepchildren. Role confusion applies primarily to the lack of clarity in respect to the roles and responsibilities of stepparents vis-a-vis their stepchildren. The sample in this study consists of eight remarried/cohabiting couples, with children from previous marriages. The sixteen men and women participants were interviewed separately in their homes. Their perceptions were examined in an attempt to verify whether or not these issues are indeed part of the common and recurring problems they face as parents and stepparents. The findings indicate that the most serious and recurring problems for members of this sample involve their children and stepchildren. Out of the three concepts examined in this research, role confusion represents the most crucial and difficult one, followed by contact consistency, whereas boundary ambiguity seems to be the least problematic of the three 1993 Thesis NonPeerReviewed application/pdf http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/2637/1/MM84626.pdf Mirshak, Aida <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/Mirshak=3AAida=3A=3A.html> (1993) Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households. Masters thesis, Concordia University. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/2637/
collection NDLTD
format Others
sources NDLTD
description This study explores the difficulties which arise in complex stepfamilies, where both partners have children from previous marriages. Problems of family integration which create discord among family members include boundary ambiguity, contact consistency and role confusion. Boundary ambiguity refers to the uncertainty surrounding family membership which develops because of the extended network of family members acquired in the previous marriage(s) and the present one. Contact consistency relates to the consistency/inconsistency of patterns of contact between stepfamily members and the non-residential children or stepchildren. Role confusion applies primarily to the lack of clarity in respect to the roles and responsibilities of stepparents vis-a-vis their stepchildren. The sample in this study consists of eight remarried/cohabiting couples, with children from previous marriages. The sixteen men and women participants were interviewed separately in their homes. Their perceptions were examined in an attempt to verify whether or not these issues are indeed part of the common and recurring problems they face as parents and stepparents. The findings indicate that the most serious and recurring problems for members of this sample involve their children and stepchildren. Out of the three concepts examined in this research, role confusion represents the most crucial and difficult one, followed by contact consistency, whereas boundary ambiguity seems to be the least problematic of the three
author Mirshak, Aida
spellingShingle Mirshak, Aida
Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households
author_facet Mirshak, Aida
author_sort Mirshak, Aida
title Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households
title_short Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households
title_full Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households
title_fullStr Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households
title_full_unstemmed Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households
title_sort boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households
publishDate 1993
url http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/2637/1/MM84626.pdf
Mirshak, Aida <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/Mirshak=3AAida=3A=3A.html> (1993) Boundary ambiguity : contact consistency and role confusion in complex stepfamily households. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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